Two-can Brew : Coopers APA and Coopers Lager

[MagooMan]

Anyone ever done a two can batch with these two? Tips? Tasting notes?

[pacman]

MagooMan, I put down a 1.5kg Coopers APA to 11.5L (Malt Shovel fermenter) on 12 June, only additives being water & yeast!

Did this based on some all malt kits consisting of 3kg tins plus water & yeast to 23L, plus a local HBS man telling me that a 1.7kg tin would be too strong for my 11.5L fermenter.

So, erring on the side of caution I used 1.5kg and jarred the remaining 200g of the kit. Probably should dispose of it, but waiting for a while.

Will give it a few more days before tasting, and will let you know.

[Stangas]

i just put in a two can lager of coopers..

i used the 2 tins, cascade hops, and saflager.. made to 22L

bubbling away nicely

i also put in a 2 can of Wander's Lager but i put in 1kg of dex, so its gonna be pretty strong

should be kegged soon enough

[pacman]

Hello MagooMan,

Almost finished this brew, and it is my best to date.

Colour/clarity top notch, as is the head. Bitterness not noticeable, which surprises me.

Taste is similar to many commercial German brews, and it has a crisp finish, which is surprising as it was not brewed at lager temps.

Gave it 3.5 to 4 stars (I am a hard marker).

Put down 2 FULL TIN brews on 1 Aug, one using 15g BrewCellar European Lager Yeast, & the other 11.5g Safale S-04, both dry pitched.

The BrewCellar has fermented down to 1010: the Safale 1013. No evident activity in either fermenter. Wondering if the yeast quantity difference is responsible, or is it a result of the yeasts having different properties?

FG of my first brew was 1010, using 15g, so that may be a pointer to my future experiments.

If the Coopers APA label contents are correct, I am brewing to German standards, i.e. malted barley, hops, yeast and water. The latter is always a worry - might have to get myself a filter, unless the chlorine does evaporate from water stored for a week or two in 3 litre plastic bottles. Bit dubious on that issue.

[da_damage_done]

i'm planning this for my next brew

1 can Coopers Pale Ale
1 can Coopers Real Ale
150g Carapils
1 x packet SafAle S-04

I'm calling it "A Real Pale Ale"

I figure % will be 5.7 @ 22 litres

Should i add any further hops to this?
- i have fuggles and cascade at my disposal

Or any other ingredients?

Cheers

Mainly making this because curiosity has gotten the better of me

[JubJub]

My experience with the Pale Ale is that is is nicely bitter by itself but laking in a flavour/aroma profile. Couldn't comment on the other.

Cascade hop oil that I have tryed with the Pale ale certainly makes it a better beer.

Jub

[Hrundi V Bakshi]

Mr da_done_damage, if you are using that yeast, fuggles hops. If you want to make it with the cascade, try with US-56 American Ale yeast. Either will make a nice beer, I am thinking.

[ahsaul]

Hi Pacman,

Thats very interesting - rarely do you hear of putting down just the tin kit, water and yeast!
Do you think if you had a 23L fermenter, that you could throw in a couple tins of the Coopers APA?

My questions here (being new to homebrew) is what kind of alcohol % would you get?? You're not adding any additional sugars or malt.....
Just interested to know how this works!?!

Thanks!!!
Saul

[mafman]

I made a two-tin Coopers Dark ale....added nothing but water (up to 23 lt)and the supplied yeast. I was warned on these forums that it would be too bitter....and for the first 3-6 months it was, being almost undrinkable. But since that time the beer has improved massively to the point where it is one of the best I've ever made.

[pacman]

Hi Saul,

Yes, I think 2 tins of Coopers APA, plus water & yeast, will work great.

My first effort resulted in a 4.6% beer.

Bottled two more 11.5L brews last weekend, both 1 X 1.7kg Coopers APA, plus water, plus yeast. I use large yeast sachets (1 X 11.5g Safale S-04, and 1 X 15g BrewCellar European Lager Yeast) - the latter is a locally packaged yeast - supposedly a Safale/Saflager strain.

Hydrometer readings indicate brews of 4.8% & 5% respectively. The higher readings are no doubt due to my using the full 1.7kg tin in each brew, as opposed to the 1.5kg in my pilot brew.

Have put down last Sunday a Coopers Bitter - 1.5kg only due to the reputed bitterness of this beer, plus water, plus 2 X 7g Coopers standard yeast sachets.

Will keep you posted on results, but be patient. Going on my initial experiment, I'm hoping these brews will be successful.

[pacman]

Hi again Saul,

By way of clarification, I used 1 X 11.5g sachet in one brew, and the 15g sachet in the other brew.

I think these large yeast sachets are an essential part of the recipe. As I understand it, the yeast has more work to do with a double tin job, as opposed to 1 tin & 1kg dextrose. So if you are doing two tins to 23L, 2 X 11.5g sachets of yeast (or 2 X 15g sachets) should do the job.

Coopers APA is probably good to start with. As with the Coopers Bitter I put down the other day, any other experiments will be with 1.5kg plus water plus yeast. Results will determine if future brews should be 1.7kg + W + Y, or 1.5kg or less, + W + Y.

Hope this helps.

[MrDave]

Saul,
I've done a two can Australian Pale Ale.

Its taking a while to mature. I even left it the finished product sitting on a heating pad for a couple of weeks post bottling.
Ten weeks in the bottle and its just starting to lose that characteristic Coopers kit fruitiness and is now showing the metallic tang that Coopers Pale Ale has out of the bottle and a nice hoppy finish.

Its seriously malty. The first few I tried were like bricks in the stomach. Felt like I was drinking malted mercury.
Seems I haven't got the FG recorded anywhere nearby. I'll have to drop the hydrometer into the next one I open.
Its getting there. Just don't expect to drink it in a hurry.
It probably warrants some grain and hop hacking if I was to do it next again.

Pacman - yours has had almost as much time in the bottle as mine. How do you fancy yours now?

[da_damage_done]

i'm planning this for my next brew

1 can Coopers Pale Ale
1 can Coopers Real Ale
100g Carapils
1 x packet SafAle S-04

I'm calling it "A Real Pale Ale"

I made the above last night with 10g of Fuggles at flame out. 22 litres.

I`ll report back with tasting notes in a few months.

Cheers

[NickMoore]

I've done a two-can Pale.

Definitely not too bitter, but needed finishing hops.

Recultured Cooper's yeast would work well.

[pacman]

Hi MrDave,

Finished drinking my first "can only" brew a couple of weeks ago. See my post 06/08 on this thread for tasting notes.

My next two brews won't be ready for a month or so, but I will keep you posted.